Sanitizing toothbrush holder

Abstract

A sanitizing toothbrush holder is described for sanitizing one or more toothbrushes in a household dishwasher. The holder is designed so as to fit in a space in the dishwasher rack used typically for holding a dinner plate, and has one or more holes in a top surface sized so as to pass a toothbrush handle but not a toothbrush head.

1. A sanitizing toothbrush holder for holding toothbrushes during sanitization, the toothbrushes each having a head and a handle, the toothbrush holder comprising:
 an upper surface having a bottom side and having at least one opening through the upper surface that is of a size so as to be able to receive and hold in place a toothbrush handle and further being smaller than the head of a toothbrush; 
 at least one vertical support member having a top end and a bottom end and attached at said top end to said bottom side of said upper surface; 
 a lower surface attached to said bottom end of said at least one vertical support member, said lower surface comprising at least one lower hole oriented substantially parallel to said upper surface, the handle of a toothbrush that has been inserted through said at least one opening of said upper surface passing through said at least one lower hole; and 
 at least one slotted tab protruding from a side of the sanitizing toothbrush holder, the slot of the tab being placed over a tine in a dishwasher rack during use of the sanitizing toothbrush holder. 
 
   
   
     2. The sanitizing toothbrush holder of  claim 1  wherein the upper surface comprises an upper surface edge, and wherein the at least one slotted tab protruding from a side of the sanitizing toothbrush holder protrudes from said upper surface edge and is substantially parallel to said upper surface. 
   
   
     3. The sanitizing toothbrush holder of  claim 1  further wherein the at least one slotted tab protruding from a side of the sanitizing toothbrush holder protrudes from said vertical support member. 
   
   
     4. The sanitizing toothbrush holder of  claim 1  wherein said lower surface comprises a lower surface edge, and wherein the at least one slotted tab protruding from a side of the sanitizing toothbrush holder protrudes from said lower surface edge and is substantially parallel to said upper surface. 
   
   
     5. The sanitizing toothbrush holder of  claim 1  further comprising at least one tab substantially parallel to said upper surface and situated on said at least one vertical support member and extending outwardly and substantially perpendicular to said at least one vertical support member, and further comprising a tab hole in said tab, said tab hole capable of receiving at least one tine from a dishwasher rack. 
   
   
     6. The sanitizing toothbrush holder of  claim 1  further comprising a basket abutting the sides of the upper and lower surface and having a plurality of holes there through to allow the passage of water and debris, said basket being of a size so as to fit between tines of a dishwasher rack. 
   
   
     7. The sanitizing toothbrush holder of  claim 6  wherein said basket further comprises at least one slotted tab protruding substantially horizontally from the basket, said at least one slotted tab sized so as to be able to receive at least one tine from a dishwasher rack.